Starting a Workout Routine Without Lows With T1D in 2026

Disclaimer: While I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist with Type 1 Diabetes myself, this blog post is not intended as medical advice. I'm sharing from my personal experience and professional knowledge, but your diabetes management should always be discussed with your healthcare team. What works for me or others may need to be adjusted for your unique situation.

Every January, the Same Story

You set the goal. You're going to finally start exercising consistently. You're going to get stronger, healthier, more fit. You buy the gym membership. You lace up the sneakers. You're ready.

And then.

Ten minutes into your first workout, your CGM screams. You're dropping. Fast. You stop mid-set, chug juice, sit on the floor feeling defeated while everyone else keeps going. Your blood sugar rebounds to 250. The workout's ruined. You feel like garbage.

Or maybe it's the opposite. You work out, and your blood sugar spikes. You took insulin before, thinking you'd need it, and now you're high for hours. Or you didn't take insulin, and the adrenaline from lifting sent you into the 200s anyway.

Either way, you're frustrated. Exhausted. And quietly thinking, "Maybe exercise just isn't for me."

But here's what I need you to know: You're not broken. Exercise isn't impossible with Type 1 Diabetes. You just haven't been taught the strategy yet.

And that's exactly what we're going to fix.

Why Exercise Feels Impossible with Type 1 Diabetes

Let's be real about why this is so hard.

Most people without diabetes can just... exercise. They don't think about it. They don't calculate anything. They don't carry emergency glucose tabs or worry about crashing mid-run or spiking after lifting.

But you? You have to think about:

• Your blood sugar before you start
• How much insulin you have on board
• What you ate (and when)
• What type of exercise you're doing
• How long you'll be moving
• Whether you'll crash during, spike after, or somehow do both
• If you have enough snacks with you
• Whether your pump site will stay on when you sweat
• If your CGM will fall off
• What your blood sugar will do overnight after an evening workout

It's a LOT. And nobody taught you how to manage all of it.

Your endo probably said something like, "Exercise is great for diabetes! Just make sure you check your blood sugar." Cool. Super helpful. Thanks.

But what they didn't tell you:

• Different types of exercise affect blood sugar completely differently
• Cardio tends to drop you, strength training might spike you (or drop you hours later)
• Insulin on board makes everything more complicated
• Adrenaline from intense exercise can cause spikes
• Your blood sugar might be fine during the workout but crash 6 hours later
• Pre-bolusing for a meal before exercise is a whole different calculation

So you've been left to figure it out yourself. And honestly? That's not fair.

The Two Big Mistakes Everyone Makes

When I work with clients who want to start exercising, I see the same two mistakes over and over.

Mistake #1: They don't adjust their insulin at all

They take their normal basal rate, dose normally for meals, and then wonder why they crash 20 minutes into a workout.

Here's the thing: your body uses glucose for fuel during exercise. If you have active insulin in your system AND you're moving, that glucose is getting pulled out of your bloodstream fast. Too fast. And boom, you're low.

Mistake #2: They overcorrect and swing the other direction

After crashing a few times, they start skipping insulin entirely before workouts. Or they eat a ton of carbs beforehand. And then they spike to 250 and stay there for hours because they overcorrected.

Both mistakes come from the same root problem: you're guessing instead of strategizing.

And I get it. You don't know what you don't know. Nobody taught you the actual strategy.

What Actually Works (The Strategy Part)

Okay, let's talk about what actually works. And I'm going to give you the foundational principles here, but I want to be clear: this is where personalized support makes all the difference.

Because your body is unique. Your insulin sensitivity is unique. Your workout routine is unique. What works for someone else might not work for you, and that's okay.

But here are the principles:

Principle #1: Know Your Starting Point

Before you even think about exercising, you need to know where your blood sugar is.

• If you're starting low (under 100 mg/dL or 5.6 mmol/L): You might need to eat something first. Maybe 15-20g of carbs to bring you up to a safer range. You don't want to start a workout already trending down.
• If you're starting in range (100-180 mg/dL or 5.6-10.0 mmol/L): You're probably good to go, but you'll want to consider reducing your basal insulin (more on that in a second).
• If you're starting high (over 200 mg/dL or 11.1 mmol/L): You might want to bring it down a bit first, but be careful not to stack insulin right before moving. High blood sugar + exercise + correction insulin = potential crash.

Principle #2: Adjust Your Basal Insulin

This is huge. If you're on a pump, you can set a temp basal or use "exercise mode" to reduce your background insulin by 20-50% starting about 30-60 minutes before your workout.

Why? Because less insulin on board means less chance of crashing when your muscles start using glucose.

If you're on long-acting insulin (injections), you can't adjust in the moment. But you can plan ahead. If you work out at the same time every day, you might consider slightly reducing your long-acting dose. Or you can use strategic carbs to fuel your workout.

But here's the catch: you have to test this. You have to try reducing by 20%, see what happens, then adjust from there. This is where the learning curve happens.

Principle #3: Understand Cardio vs. Strength Training

Cardio (running, biking, swimming, etc.) tends to drop blood sugar. Your muscles are using glucose for sustained energy.

Strength training (lifting, HIIT, intense intervals) can actually spike your blood sugar because of adrenaline release. Your body sees it as a stress response and dumps glucose into your bloodstream.

So your strategy for a 30-minute jog is going to be different than your strategy for a heavy lifting session.

• For cardio: You might reduce basal, maybe eat a small snack beforehand, and keep fast-acting carbs on you.
• For strength training: You might not need to reduce basal as much (or at all), and you might even need a small amount of insulin after if the adrenaline spikes you.

Again, this is individual. But knowing the difference is the first step.

Principle #4: Timing Matters

When you work out relative to your last meal and insulin dose makes a massive difference.

• Working out 1-2 hours after eating: You probably have insulin on board. You might need to reduce your meal bolus or eat extra carbs to avoid going low.
• Working out fasted (like first thing in the morning): Less insulin on board, but you might spike from dawn phenomenon or adrenaline. You might need a small correction before or after.
• Working out 3-4 hours after eating: Insulin on board is lower, but you might still need to adjust basal. Track what happens and adjust.

There's no one-size-fits-all answer. But once you understand the variables, you can start testing and finding what works for YOU.

What You're Really Looking For: Quick Wins

I know all of this might sound overwhelming. But here's the thing: you don't have to figure it all out at once.

What you're really looking for are quick wins. Small victories that build your confidence and show you this is actually doable.

A quick win looks like:

• Working out for 20 minutes without crashing for the first time
• Noticing your blood sugar stayed stable during a walk because you reduced your basal
• Finishing a strength session and only spiking to 160 instead of 250
• Understanding WHY you spiked (adrenaline) instead of feeling like your body is broken
• Exercising and not spending the next 6 hours chasing blood sugar

These wins happen in the first week when you have the right strategy. And they compound.

This Is Where the Membership Comes In

Look, I could keep going. I could give you a 5,000-word guide on exercise and insulin. But here's the reality:

You don't need more information dumped on you. You need a system. You need ongoing support. And you need personalized guidance as you test things out.

That's exactly what the membership does.

For less than most people spend on 1 coffee per week, you get:

Immediate Access to Courses That Apply to Exercise:

• Pre-Bolusing Course: The foundation for timing your insulin around meals AND exercise. If you're eating before a workout, you need to know how to time that insulin so you're not crashing mid-set.
• Carb Ratio Testing Course: So you actually know how much insulin to take (or reduce) instead of guessing.
• Plus downloadable guides, logs, and tools: Track your workouts, your blood sugar patterns, and what adjustments work.

Monthly Live Q&A Calls

This is where the magic happens. You can ask:

• "I'm starting CrossFit, how do I adjust my insulin?"
• "I went low 3 hours after lifting, what happened?"
• "Should I reduce my basal before or during my workout?"

And I'll walk you through it. Real-time. Based on YOUR body, YOUR data, YOUR life.

Private Community Access:

Connect with other people with T1D who are also figuring out exercise. Ask questions between calls. Share wins. Get support when it's hard.

New Mini-Course Every Month:

We're building an exercise-specific course. We're building courses on the 42 factors that affect blood sugar (spoiler: exercise is one of them). We're covering real-world scenarios like travel, restaurants, and stress.
You join once, and you get access to everything, forever.

Option 1: monthly membership 
Option 2: Pay for the year, save over 2 months worth of membership costs

"But Can't I Just Figure This Out on My Own?"

You could.

I did. It took me years of trial and error, lots of frustration, lots of lows, lots of giving up and starting over.

Or you could learn it in weeks with the right guidance.

Here's what I know from working with hundreds of people with Type 1 Diabetes:

• Days 1-7: You'll have your first quick wins. You'll understand WHY your blood sugar does what it does during exercise. You'll successfully complete a workout without crashing (or you'll know how to adjust for next time).
• Weeks 2-4: You'll start seeing patterns. You'll know your basal adjustments. You'll feel more confident. You'll stop dreading workouts.
• Months 1-3: Exercise becomes part of your routine, not a blood sugar battle. You're stronger, healthier, and your diabetes is actually better because of it.

That's the timeline when you have the right strategy and support.

This Isn't Just About Exercise

Here's the other thing: once you join the membership, you're not just getting exercise strategies.

You're getting:

• Pre-bolusing mastery (the ONE strategy that changes everything)
• Carb ratio testing (so you stop guessing)
• Insulin timing strategies for meals, restaurants, travel
• Support for the 2am CGM alarms, the highs, the lows, the frustration
• A community of people who actually get it

All for less than what most people pay for 1 coffee per week.

That's less than one 1:1 session with a diabetes educator (if you can even find one who specializes in T1D). That's less than a co-pay for some endo visits. That's less than many people spend on supplements or gym memberships they don't use.

And this? This you'll actually use. Because it's designed for real life. For your life.

What People Are Saying

"I've learned more in 3 months of this membership than I did in 10 years of endocrinologist appointments. And for the first time, I don't feel alone in this."

"I finally trust myself to manage it. That's been life-changing."

"I can exercise without crashing now. I didn't think that was possible."
These aren't outliers. This is what happens when you get the right education and support.

Your 2026 Can Be Different

Look, January is already gone. Everyone's set their goals. Everyone's made resolutions.

Maybe you did too, are you sticking with it? did you fall off? Most people fall of their goals within the first 2 weeks, it's okay.

Here's the tea on why it didn't work: you don't need motivation. You need strategy.

You need someone who actually lives with Type 1 Diabetes to teach you what works. You need ongoing support, not a one-time course you finish and forget. You need a community that gets it.

And you deserve to start this year feeling confident, not defeated.
Join the membership HERE

Or if you want to chat with me first about whether this is right for you, schedule a free consultation: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min

And if you haven't grabbed your free copy of my book yet, do that too: typeonetypefun.com/free-book

The book covers the 42 factors that affect blood sugar (including exercise and adrenaline), plus all the foundational strategies you need. It's completely free.

You're Not a Bad Diabetic

You're not lazy. You're not broken. You're not "bad at exercise."

You just haven't been taught the strategy yet.

And that's not your fault.

But 2026? That can be the year everything changes.

The year you finally figure out exercise and blood sugar. The year you get stronger and healthier. The year diabetes stops holding you back.

It starts with strategy. Not willpower.

And I'm here to teach you.

Let's do this.

Ready to master exercise with Type 1 Diabetes? Join the membership: WAITLIST

Want to talk first? Book your free call: calendly.com/typeonetypefun/30min
Grab your free book for foundational strategies: typeonetypefun.com/free-book